Lewiston: Brochey seeks to buy Frontier House

by jmaloni

Tue, Mar 24th 2015 07:55 am

The historic Frontier House in Lewiston.

By Joshua Maloni

The Town of Lewiston took its
first step Monday toward a possible acquisition of the Frontier House. The
historic Center Street property has been vacant since December 2004 as its
owner, Richard Hastings, and his son, Alan, have been unable to find funding
sources to restore the 191-year-old building and transform it into a restaurant
or retail business.

In a prepared statement,
Supervisor Dennis Brochey read, "For over two or three years, I have
had several small chats with the Hastings family about their business,
families, future and, once in a while, about the famous, historic Frontier House.
The Hastings family has worked hard for decades, investing their labor, their
energies and their money to make Lewiston a place that we are all proud to call
home. Just look at how beautiful the Lewiston Landing (waterfront) has become
with the addition to the remodeled Silo (Restaurant, which Alan operates). They
represent the epitome of the 'American Dream.'

"Off and on, Richard
Hastings and I would talk about his plans for the Frontier House and how he
would like it to be restored to its glamour. Over the last several months, Richard
has said to me that he's getting tired and wanting to spend more time with his
grandchildren, but he never stopped talking about his vision of the Frontier
House.

"Recently, I
mentioned to him a few ideas that I had that may encourage him in selling the Frontier
House to the Town of Lewiston, and how we could fund it without taxpayer money.
We met eye to eye on restoring it for the future generations and to have it become
a national destination."

Brochey wasn't shy in
praising the Hastings family for taking this course of action. He said a
restored Frontier House would benefit Lewiston.

"Richard Hastings and
I believe this Town Board shares that dream, and I'm sure many other
Lewistonians local and afar feel the same way. (The Hastings) made a decision
to possibly place the Frontier House's future into the hands of the people of
Lewiston, which only solidifies their sterling reputation and their place in
Lewiston history," the supervisor read. "The Frontier House is our touchstone
to the past that makes Lewiston the envy of other communities. It's not only a
cultural icon, but it will become a key in unlocking Lewiston's economic
development and potential. The Frontier House could become a fully functional
and working building that will breathe new life and excitement into the Center
Street business district.

"Today, I hope we
join hands with the Hastings family to take Lewiston to the next level,
allowing everyone in our community to become a stakeholder in one of the most
inspiring projects we've ever undertaken. We owe the Hastings a debt of
gratitude for their steadfast determination, and their encouragement, to let
the people of Lewiston set the course for the Frontier House's future
development.

"There will be many
steps to be taken before this is to happen. The first (is) to get an appraisal
of this Lewiston staple that many tourists have seen and wondered what it may
have been like in 1824. Once that is done, we, the Town Board, will sit with
the Hastings and negotiate a fair price for them and the people of Lewiston.
Nothing further will happen until this is done."

Frontier House appraisal

Brochey asked the
Town Board for permission to seek an appraisal.

"I'd like to concur
with the supervisor in the sense that I think the Frontier House is one of
those marquee buildings in the Town of Lewiston that really sets the town apart
from any other community in the area," Councilman Alfonso M. Bax said. "I think
that the community at large has been looking for a way to utilize that
facility. Both the Hastings family and other interested organizations have
expressed interest. ... We've had a difficult time coming to an agreement on
everything.

"But I agree, again,
with the supervisor to say that the town becoming involved - leveraging our
Greenway money - may be an opportunity for everybody in the town. So, I think
the first step is warranted, to get an appraisal (and) figure out where we
stand."

Brochey received
three price quotes from appraisal companies. The Town Board agreed to spend
$2,200 (the low bid) to have GAR Associates of Amherst evaluate the Frontier
House building and property. That first-level assessment should be completed in
about a month.

"Let it be known that
it is the quest of this board not to use taxpayers' money on this project, but
to look for the assistance of the Greenway Commission, grants and donations to
accomplish most of this," Brochey read. "I will help form a committee ahead of
time to figure out ways to also have it self-sufficient and paying its own
overhead costs. Even after the hopeful purchase of this diamond in the rough,
it'll be several years until we see its completion."

Frontier House plan reception

Upon approving
Brochey's request, the board received applause from the crowd of about 20
Village of Lewiston residents on hand to support the supervisor's plan. Those
in attendance included the Village Board of Trustees and members of the Historical
Association of Lewiston and Lewiston Council on the Arts.

"(We're here) to
encourage this board ... to pursue what you are doing now," Village of Lewiston
Mayor Terry Collesano said. "We're very happy that you're taking the lead in
this."

He, too, read a
prepared statement. It said, in part, "The Village Board and I are very excited
about the possible restoration of the Frontier House - bringing it back to a
fully functional and valued property. This would be one of the best investments
Lewiston can make.

"The potential impact
Lewiston would receive by bringing life back into this historical jewel will
spell a dramatic difference in our local commercial downtown, creating also a
new historical designation."

Frontier House future, cost

There are no firm
plans for what will happen if and when the town buys the Frontier House, or
what would be located inside the building. Brochey said the committee would
look into uses, as well as identifying whether the town would permanently
retain ownership.

If the town comes to an agreement with Hastings, Brochey said the board would bond the money and use Greenway funds to make yearly payments. The municipality receives $510,000 each year. Brochey said he wouldn't want to spend more than $200,000 per year on this endeavor.

In recent years, elected leaders have speculated Hastings was looking for $750,000 to $1 million for the building and property.